That’s September 16th. I assume it’s celebrated in the United States for two reasons:
- It was a victory over the French and we all know how some sectors of the American public love to hate the French
- General Ignacio Zaragoza, who led the Mexican troops at that battle, was born in what is now Texas when it was still part of Mexico, so its background resounds with Mexican-Americans.
Although it is certainly celebrated in some parts of Mexico, the whole brouhaha they make north of the border as “Mexican heritage day” is as alien to most Mexicans as hard-shelled tacos.
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Nice blog. I must say that although 5 de mayo is pretty much like St. Patricks day or Oktoberfest in the U.S., it was a pretty big deal in Puebla when I was there last year for the holiday. I’d say that it has less to do with the alleged American dislike of the French and more to do with the fact that U.S. alcohol companies are always looking for new ways to market their products… Keep up the interesting writing!
Thanks, welcome any time! In Puebla it’s definitely a big deal as the battle was there, but in the rest of the country I’m not so sure.
You’ve got a point about the interest of corporations to spread this celebration as a way to expand their market, which is exactly the same thing that happened to Tex-Mex disguised as Mexican food.